Drum



H. G. HUNT Julie 24, was.

DRUM

Filed Feb. 25, 1928 A TTORNEYS.

I INVENTOR.

Patented June 24, 1930 PTE- orricu HENRY G. HU'NT,.OF GRANVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS,

DRUM

' Application filed February 23, 1928. Serial No. 256,275.

This invention relates to drums and has for its object the accomplishment of improved tonal qualities for a drum. A further-object of the invention is to provide a drum structure having greater utility and serviceability than'drums now in use.

In accordance with the invention, two complete drum units are'arrangcd in superposed spaced relation to provide an air chamber between'the inner facing heads of the two drum'units. I have discovered that such an arrangement, with the provision of an air chamber of appropriate dimensions and sufliciently open around its periphery at the sides of the drum, will give a very pleasing tone qualityv which is quite distinct from that given by the ordinary drum.

While this feature of improved tone quality is particularly aimed at i'n'the present invention, a further consequenceof the'arrangeinent mentioned is that additional utility maybe given to thedrum structure by the location ofthe snare heads or head on the insidejof the drum structure, thus presenting both of the opposite outside heads for use as beater heads. In other words, the drum structure of the present invention may have the sound qualities of a snare drum, and yet be beaten on either side. This characteristic becomes useful in such emergencies as when one of the beater heads is ruptured during playing, for in that event the drum need only be turned over and the playing continued. The

drum may be .playedwith a snare on either one or on both of the inside heads of the drum structure and different tone qualities can be produced by changes in the use of the. snare; Forexample, with a snare in use on only one of the drum units, the combined. tone effectof a tom-tornand snare drum is attained, and-this tone eifectis still further varied depending upon. whether the beating of the drum is upon the snare drum ,unit' or the tom-tom unit. i

. The novelfeatures and advantages of the invention will beobserved from the following' description'thereof which, for purposes of disclosure, is illustrated in the form at present preferred by means of the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a partial plan View of a drum embodying the novel features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of the drum shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevational view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial elevational view of a drum showing a modification of the clamping and tensioning means for the drum; and

Fig. 4 is a similar sectional view taken on the line 4l4- of Fig. 2.

.7 -'T' Referring to the drawings'in" detail, the

drum structure comprises two complete drum units indicated generally at 1 and 2 and arranged in superposed spaced relation so as to'provide a central air chamber between the inner heads of the units. The means for spacing the drum units apart are preferably designed to leave this central air chamber open substantially throughout its entire periphery at the sides of the drum.

Each drum unit 1 and 2 of the complete structure includes a cylindrical shell 3 and 3 respectively, which are provided with the usual vent holes 4. Upon the cylindrical shell 3 is mounted the outer head 13 and the inner head S, and upon the cylindrical shell 3' is mountedthe' outer head B and inner head S. In my preferred arrangement, as shown, the outer heads B and B of the drum structure are to be used as beater heads and one or both of the inner heads S and S are to be used as share heads. It is to be understood, however, that the heads of'the separate drums may be employedin 'a relation other than as specified andthat anyone of the heads may be used as a snare head, and eitherone or both of the outer heads 'as a beater head.

OuterhoopsS and 8' are provided for fitting over the outer heads B and B so as to abut rings 6 and 6' thereof, while similar inner hoops 9 and 9' fit over the inner heads'and are adapted to abut against rings 7 and 7' thereof.

The drums 1 and 2 are preferably held in """Theinner h :iacfeiit inner. (heads mnrheada may spaced apart relation by some convenient means such as spacers which are disposed at spaced intervals around the rims of the drums so as to engage the inner hoo s 9 5 and 9' These acers may take an em desired, such as hollow thimbles or t e like, and ma be heldin lace b dowels 11 or screw, 'readed mem r which pass therethrough and have their opposite ends disposed in suitable recesses or engaged with threaded holes, in the edges of the rings. Clamps for clam ing the parts of each drum together and to tension the heads thereof as well as for clam ing the parts, constitutin the separate rums,"together consist of coke 14 and 14' for engaging the outer edges of the hoops 8 and 8" w 'e have angularly disposed plate portions 15 and 15. Theseplates areprovided with suitable apertures for receiving wigg couplings screws 16, which are provid with collars 17 for abutting the plates ofthe clamps and threads ior engaging nuts 19 disposed at a side of a plate of the other clam of a pair, all as shown. Wings 20 on t e ends of the screws facilitate their being rotated by hand so that as the screws are screwed into the nuts, the clamps of a urged'or drawn towards one another. 7

9 and 9' are, as described, held or fixed in spaced relation by the 10so that as the clamps are tightmad or moved towards one another, the as outer hoops 8. and 8' are moved inwardly zigheir shells towards the inner hoops 9 9 A V the hoo s 8 and 8 are moved towards one another t y act against the outer head so rings 6 and 6, and stretch or tension the heads B and 'B" and at the same time tend to move the shells 8 and3', which in turn act-upon the heads S and S, theedges of which are held by the rings 7 and 7 abut, ting the hoops 9 and 9. By thus moving the outer hoo s and ringsv towards one another or towar s the inner hoops and rings, the heads may be stretched or tensioned to the degree desired and the parts in efiect I MclampedtbinnerhoopsQamdQ.

BeThe tgn'filfllivfilf tlhe' heiilils may of *varie at s a e n g upon con- ,idition of theheads, characteristics; etc. 'It=may:wel1 bedesiredte provide means for-clamping the parts of one drumher and forxtensionin theheads indepen ently of the other *to'prov'ideiin addition thereto, independent'means g the so that'tge ii'adwhich I prefer; 91m beheld-{in a spicedsrelationcto form the air chamber mEeured tw f is ybe lam Otthe modified form of clamping-Ime'ans'shown in Fig; 3. In thiscase palirsof-hooks 25 and '-tion with respect thereto, alias desired.

outer side,

26 on age the outer and inner hoo s 8 and 8' an 9 and 9' of each drum an receive tensioning screws 27. These screws 27 as in the former case, are provided with win 28 and collars 29 and have their ends in g screw threaded engagement with nuts 80.

These clamping evices are s aced around the (11111118 88 ma ,"SO that by tightening them, t e rings, shells, and associated parts of each drum may be moved independentlyofthose oi the other so as to tighten or. tension the heads thereof, thus rendering it ible to tension the heads ofone drum independently of the other, as will be desirable when the heads are unlike or require various dfireesof tensioning to obtain the tone desir Intermediate the clamps described, other clam s for clamping or holding the drum toge or are provide These may comprise hooks 30 and 31 which engage the outer hoops .8 and 8' and rods 37, screw threaded by right and left hand threads on its 0 pm site ends in suitable nuts. 33, which ar 5 against the clam so that by turning these screws, 37 the rum may be secured together. The parts comprising the clam will preferably be so arranged that t e clamps previously described or their action will not be interferedfvwith 'as these latter asclamps are tightenedfor holdi the drums in their superposed relation, many of these clamps maybe employed as may, be desired around the perip of the drums, but since they are not inten ed for tensioning the heads, they of course need not/the as numerous as the geviously described clamps. Snares N and are rovided which ma be'oi ordinary form preferably exten acrossthe ad acent faces ofthe snare heads a S and S. e snareeof one head may be in parallel relation with of the other, or they may be disposed in an angularrela Any number of snares may be emplofidllo and will depend to a large egtent upon the 6* tonilefieet it is desired to obtain and, as is a through suitable o in the shells and engage with snare te-or adjusting ass devices 16 oithusual f orm, d .on the 9 1 a v v -,,"It a noted ditionfc the outephoad Bmn 'i fifihetdi n i w Pail? f Q "a ue there'is provided an inner head S", spa from'the h'eid S' toprovide anai'rspace well; another odte r headB' L a I a m from sf.

provide iii; 7 weatherm n are vided nntonly to iifiie'tenal quali-lllg meal the drum, butaeearri'liged so as to"? provide as walla pair of separate or indeipendent drum which are clamped m these may pas-hack and forth 7 of the invention it is desirable to locate sets of snares adjacent the two inner heads. With this arrangement, either of the outer beaterheads has a snare head therebelow, and according to the novel construction,

there isanother head or heads below and I so spaced from the snare head which functions to cooperate therewith to produce the tone effect desired.

Various changes may be made in the form of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and I prefer therefore to be limited, if at all, by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

What I claim is:

1. A drum structure comprising in combination, a pair of drums in superposed relation, each drum including an outer head and an inner head, theinner head of one drum being spaced from the inner head of the other drum to provide a central air chamber between the two drums, and means at the peripheries of said drums to secure them in the relation specified.

2. A drum structure comprising in combination, a pair of drums in superposed relation, each drum including an outer head and an inner head, the inner head of one drum being spaced from the inner head of the other drum to provide a central air chamber between the two drums, and means at the peripheries of said drums to secure them in the relation specified, said air chamber being open substantially throughout its periphery at the sides of'said drum structure.

7 3. A, drum structure comprising in combination, a pair of drums in superposed re lation, each drum includingan outer head and an inner head, the inner head of one drum being spaced from the inner head of the other drum to provide a central air chamber between the two drums, means at the peripheries of said drums to secure them in the relation specified, and a snare mounted across the face of one ofthe inner heads.

LA drum structure comprising in combination, a pair'of drums in superposed re-' lation, each drum including an outer head and fan' innerhead, the inner head of one drum being spaced from the inner head of the other drum to provide a central air' chamber between thetwo drums, means at the peripheries of. said drums to secure them 7 in the relation specified, anda snare mounted across the face of each of'said inner heads.

5. A drum structure comprismg in combinatlon, a pair of drums 1n superposed relation, each drum including an outer head and an inner head, the inner head of one drum being spaced from the inner head of the other drum to provide a central air chamber between the two drums, and means for clamping said drums together said means also serving to tension the several heads of said drums.

6. A drum structure comprising in combination, a pair of drums in superposed relation with the inner head of one drum spaced from the inner head of the other drum to provide a central air chamber between the two drums, means for tensioning the heads of each drum independently of those of the other drum, and means for clamping the drums together so as to hold the adjacent inner heads in spaced relation.

7. A drum structure comprising in combination, a pair of drums in superposed relation, each drum including an outer and inner head, spacing members interposed between the rims of said inner heads to pro vide a central air chamber between said drums, and clamping members engaging the rims of said outer heads for securing the drums together.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

HENRY G. HUNT.

.llO 

